Authoring Tools - International Journal of Learning and Teaching

International Journal of Learning and Teaching Vol. 2, No. 2, December 2016

Authoring Tools: Its Awareness and Incorporation into Teaching of Sciences and otherSubjects in Lagos State Secondary Schools, Nigeria Ismail O. Muraina Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education/Computer Science Department, Lagos, Nigeria Email: [email protected]

Abiodun S. Okedeyi Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education/Physics Department, Lagos, Nigeria Email: [email protected]

Adeyemi T. Adesanya Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education/PHE Department, Lagos, Nigeria Email: [email protected]

Aderonke M. Oginni Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education/Integrated Science Department, Lagos, Nigeria

Email: [email protected]

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Abstract—In this technological era, teachers as conveyors of knowledge should, in addition to content knowledge, prepare themselves with most current aiding tools that can make knowledge delivery easier, design of teaching application available and relevant to various scientific concepts. Studies reveal that, teachers in teaching sciences are not aware of authoring tools for presentation of concepts, few teachers that aware of the authoring tools could not use the available tools to come up with well-prepared material to teach while remaining teachers were aware and could use it to design but have serious hindrance in implementing it into classroom environment. This paper, through pictorial representation of data, shows that out of 180 teachers in both primary and secondary schools teaching sciences and other subjects sampled, over ninety percent were not aware of authoring tools existence; over five percent could use any of available authoring tools to design. Adapt Learning was the major tool used mostly by those teacher that can use the tools; accessibility and cost of software were counted as factors that can affect the use of authoring tools. It is recommended that workshops should be introduced on the use and proper application of authoring tools with their peculiar benefits and weaknesses; teachers should be trained to design with these tools effectively to solve scientific conceptual problems. Index Terms—authoring tools, courseware, course material

sciences,

classroom,

Manuscript received July 13, 2015; revised September 28, 2015. © 2016 International Journal of Learning and Teaching doi: 10.18178/ijlt.2.2.167-171

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I.

INTRODUCTION

It was noted and observed in the educational field, that the more variety of resources used in the learning process, the better the ability to higher or enhance the human capability to absorb and retain facts of the learning material [1]. In the world beyond University learning and teaching environments, authoring tools are easy to access, and their use is proliferation every day. In academic research circles, authoring tools are now being adopted as an alternatives to conventional forms of scholarly publication and communication [2], [3]. This paper focuses on the awareness and implementation of authoring tools in secondary schools in Nigeria. It finds out the level at which teachers are aware of authoring tools and how effective those tools are being used or implemented to support their teaching profession. The study was guided through the below research questions: 1) At what rate are the teachers aware of authoring tools to support their teaching effectiveness? 2) Atwhat level the teachers can use the available authoring tools in circulation? 3) Will the years spent in teaching helpthe awareness of authoring tools? 4) Which of the authoring tools mostly used by categories of teachers? 5) Which of the factors mostly affect the use of authoring tools? Authoring is just a speed-up form of programming without the need to know the intricacies of a programming language but and understanding of how


twenty-two based on their subjects areas: Agricultural science, Biology, Business studies, Chemistry, Civic education, Computer studies, English Language, Home economics, Food and nutrition, French language, Integrated science, Geography, Government, Introductory technology, Igbo language, Islamic studies, Literature in English, Mathematics, Physical education, Physics, Social studies and Yoruba language. Randomly, one hundred and eighty respondents were selected for the study, the study involved both male and female respondents. Collection of data was carried out within a month, which was collated and analyzed using pictorial analysis as well as parametric statistics via SPSS. The instrument was subjected to both face and content validity as well as reliability of the instrument with 0.88 reliability index indicated high level of consistency (Crombach Alpha).

programs work is necessary. An authoring system is a program which has pre-programmed elements for the development of interactive multimedia software titles. Authoring systems vary widely in orientation, capabilities and learning curve [1], [4]. An authoring tool can be seen as an application development environment for nonprogrammers. Despite many years of research and development, authoring tools and other advanced adaptive learning environments have seen relatively little use in schools and training classrooms [5]. Hence, authoring tools can reduce the development time, effort and cost; they can enable reuse and customization of content; they can lower the skill barrier and allow more people to participate in development and customization [6]-[9]. Learning through sustained inquiry activities requires a significant amount of reflection, planning and other metacognitive and higher level skills, yet these very skills are lacking in many students [5], [10]. Thus, it is crucial to support, scaffold, and teach these skills [5], [9]. II.

III.

The Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 answered the first two research questions raised. The result (Fig. 1) clearly showed that majority of the teachers regardless of their area of specialization were not aware the presence of authoring tool to aid effective teaching and learning. Also, Fig. 2 revealed that highest percentage of the respondents were aware of the tools but could not use them at all.

METHODOLOGY

The study employed survey design and the use of questionnaire as major instrument for the collection of data. The respondents which comprise of teachers in secondary schools within Lagos State were grouped into

Figure1. Awareness of authoring tools

Figure 2. Use of authoring tools

© 2016 International Journal of Learning and Teaching

RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

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IIshowed t-test statistical result effect of years spent by a teacher on his/her coming across the available authoring tools. The result from the two tables showed that number of years in teaching does not determine a teacher awareness of the existing authoring tools.

Table I and TableII found the significant implication of years spent by a teacher with his/her possibility to be aware of authoring tools for the purpose of his efficient and effective teaching. Table 1 gives descriptive analysis of the relationship between the two variables: Years in teaching vs. awareness of authoring tools while Table

TABLE I. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN YEARS IN TEACHING AND AWARENESS OF AUTHORING TOOLS Awareness of Authoring Tools N Mean Std. Deviation Years in Teaching

TABLE II.

No

168 5.5952

3.39996

Yes

12 9.6667

3.72542

INDEPENDENT SAMPLES T-TEST

Years in Teaching

t-value

Df

Sig. (2-tailed)

-3.983

178

.000

An independent-samples t-test was also conducted to compare years in teaching and Awareness of Authoring Tools by such teacher. The years spent in teaching by the teacher does not help or determine his/her awareness of authoring tools. Teachers with No option (M=5.59, SD=3.39) and teacher with Yes option [M=9.67, SD=3.73; t (178) =-3.983, P=.000].

Figure 3. Adapt Learning

Figure 5. Adobe Edge Animate

Figure 7. Brainshark

Figure 9. Composica

Figure 10. De-Scribe

Figure 11. Dictera

Figure 12. Dominknow Claro

Figure 13. EAD Builder

Figure 14. Elucidat

Figure 4. Adobe Captive

Figure 6. ArticulateStoryline

Fig. 3 to Fig.15 showed responses regarding the kind of authoring tool that were mostly used by the teachers across all specialized areas under study. Out of thirteen authoring tools, study showed that only Adapt learning tool is mostly used while others were not used. Fig. 16 to Fig. 19 revealed hindrance factors that can result to inability of a teacher not to use any authoring tool. Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 showed that respondents agreed that accessibility and cost of the software are major

Figure 8. Camtasia Studio


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factors that impede their use. Looking at Fig. 18, one could infer that power supply is one of the factors affecting the use of tools generally but the responses as depicted by Fig. 18 showed that power supply is not the major factor to the use of the tools. Finally, Fig. 19 illustrates that techno-phobia is not in any way affect the use of authoring tools towards effective teaching and learning.

The results also reported that number of years spent in teaching by the teachers do not really determine their awareness and use of authoring tool(s). This supported earlier finding of [6], that year’s spending in classroom is not a factor to predict teachers’ efficiency in the use of authoring tools despite the usefulness of the tools such as reduction of the development time, reduction of effort and cost, reusability and customization of content, lowering the skill barrier and allowing more people to participate in the development and customization. Also, the results showed that Adapt learning tool was mostly used by the teachers under study while other twelve similar tools were not used. Conclusively, the finding made it crystal clear that power supply as well as techno-phobia were not counted to affect effective use of authoring tools; yet accessibility and cost of the software could cause great hindrance to the use of the tools.

Figure 15. Gomo learning

V.

Figure16. Accessibility

CONCLUSION

The effectiveness of the awareness and incorporation of multimedia-authoring tool in producing lesson materials and related tutorials to supplement the classroom instruction is considered an important tool to assist teacher. The features incorporated into the tool support this fact. The authoring tool focuses on its usability, multiple teaching strategies, courseware reuse, and the concept of specialized authoring. The usability factor provides a strategy for target users to utilize the tool without much expertise or training since programming and scripts are not a part of the tool. The tool is designed to be a non-technical and uses a familiar interface that increases usability. Yet many teachers were not aware of the authoring tools while those teachers with little knowledge of the tools could not use them resulting in incapability of some teachers to embrace new emerging tools available. Conclusively, the tool provides assistance to teachers and students in putting together simple courseware or materials.

Figure 17. Cost of thesoftware

REFERENCES [1] Figure18. Power Supply

Figure 19. Techno- phobia [2]

IV.

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

From the findings, results revealed that many teachers were not aware the presence of authoring tools to support their teaching effectiveness. The rate at which teachers under this study response to the awareness of the availability of authoring tools was very low (6.7%). And the first step in applying the authoring tools is awareness of its availability in teaching profession, this is in agreement with [5] that despite many years of research and development, authoring tools and other advanced adaptive learning environment have seen relatively little use in schools and training classroom. Similarly, teachers that can use these tools were at low level (5.6%) compared to those that cannot use them.


[3]

[4] [5] [6]

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M. N. Ayub, S. T. Venugopal, and N. F. Nor, “Development of multimedia authoring tool for educational material disseminations,” Journal of Informatics in Education, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 5–18, 2005. American Council of Learned Societies. (2006). Our Cultural Commonwealth: The Report of the ACLS Commission on Cyberinfrastructure for the Humanities and Social Sciences. [Online]. Available: http://www.acls.org/cyberinfrastructure/OurCulturalCommonweal th.pdf M. Al-Shboul, “Teachers’ Perceptions of the use of EDU wave elearning system in Public Schools in Jordan,” The Journal of Human Resourses and Adult Learning, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 161-181. 2012. Integrated Technology Group. (2012). Education Solution. [Online]. Available: http//www.itgsolutions.com/page/open/id/62 T. Murray, B. Woolf, and D. Marshall, Lessons Learned from Authoring for Inquiry, Publishers, Dordrecht, 2000. S. Ainsworth, N. Major, S. Grimshaw, M. Hayes, J. Underwood, B. Williams, and D. Wood, “REDEEM: Simple intelligent tutoring systems from usable tools,” in Authoring Tools for Advanced Technology Learning Environments, Springer Netherlands, 2003, pp. 205-232.


[7]

H. Halff, P. Hsieh, B. Wenzel, T. Chudanov, M. Dirnberger, E. Gibson, and C. Redfield, “Requiem for a development system: reflections on knowledge-based, generative instruction,” in Authoring Tools for Advanced Technology Learning Environments, T. Blessing and S. Ainsworth, Eds., Kluwer Academic, 2003. [8] Y. Park, “A pedagogical framework for mobile learning: Categorizing educational applications of mobile technologies into four types,” The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 78-102, 2011. [9] A. Abuhmaid, “ICT training courses for teacher professional development in Jordan,” The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 195-210, 2011. [10] S, Lajoie, Ed, Computers as Cognitive Tools Volume II, Lawrence Erlbaum Inc., New Jersey Learning: A Tale of Authoring Tool Evolution, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 2000.

Dr Okedeyi AbiodunSakiruis a Principal Lecturer in the Department of Physics, AdeniranOgunsanya College of Education Otto/Ijanikin, Lagos Nigeria. He attendedLagos State University, Ojo, where he obtained a B.Sc (Ed) in Physics in 1997. Thereafter, he gained admission to study at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, where he achieved his MSc. also in Physics in 2003. DrOkedeyi proceeded to the revered Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria where he obtained his Ph.D in Environmental Management and Toxicology (specializing in Radiation Physics) in 2012. He has a professional certificates in Advanced Digital Appreciation Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI) Training. Digital Bridge Institute, Lagos Nigeria, Certificate in Information and Communication Technology Programme, AOCOED, Nigeria and Certificate in Study Technology (Workshop Leaders Course), Applied Scholastic, Nigeria. Undeniably, it is true that the insights and lessons gained from his timevaried, but interlocking experiences (as a lecturer, a humanist, an environmental consultants and an administrator) are put to advantageous use as he sets out on any mission. As a matter of fact, insights and lessons from them constitute part of the mental components of the context within which to situate DrOkedeyi’s overall accomplishments till date .He is an erudite scholar of repute and active member of several notable professional bodies such as Science Teacher’ Association of Nigeria (STAN), Nigeria Institute of Physics (NIP) and Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). Dr Okedeyi AbiodunSakiru has over 30 publications and attended Workshops, Seminars, Conferences (Local and international), Talkshows, and other academic oriented programmes. From 2008 to date, he has co-published 3 books in Physics and Mathematics, 1 chapters in books, 12 international journal publications, 11 local publications, 7 conference proceedings, 2 book reading and 6 books of abstracts.

Ismail O. Muraina is a lecturer in Computer Science Department, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Otto/Ijanikin Lagos, Nigeria. He has Masters Degree in Computer Science Education and currently a PhD Student in the same filed. He as well has professional certificates in Powerful tools for teaching and learning Web 2.0 from University of Houston System (Coursera), Performance Assessment in the Virtual Classroom from University of California, Irvine (Coursera) and Learning to Teach Online from The University of New South Wales (Coursera). Mr. Muraina brings to Computer Science Department a record of exceptional tutor and strategic vision with a sound knowledge of Computer Science Education. He is a strong member of notable computer and science organizations such as Nigeria Computer Society, Science Teacher Association of Nigeria, Curriculum Organization of Nigeria, Nigerian Association for Educational Media and Technology and Teacher Registration Council of Nigeria. Muraina also teaches computer science Education across other Institutions in Nigeria like Yaba College of Technology, TOPMOST College of Education Ipaja, Lagos and Lagos State University, Ojo Lagos. From 2008 to date, he has co-published 6 books in computer science education, he has written and co- published 6 chapters in books, 12 international publications, 9 local publications, 7 conference proceedings, and 4 books of abstracts. He has attended more than 16 local and international conferences. Adeyemi Adesanya is a lecturer in Physical and Health Education Department, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education Otto/Ijanikin, Lagos, Nigeria. He has Bachelor in Health Education and a Masters Degree in Sports Psychology from the University of Lagos. Mr. Adesanya is a seasoned teacher and erudite scholar with over 15 years track record of exceptional teaching and administrative experience. He is a notable and active member of several Teaching, Science, Sports and Recreation Organizations and Associations, such as Nigeria Association for Physical Health Education and Recreation Sports and Dance (NAPHER-SD), Sports Psychology Association of Nigeria (SPAN), Science Teacher Association of Nigeria (STAN) and Teacher Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). From 2003 to date, he has co-published 3 books in health education, 10 chapters in books, 25 local and international publications. He has attended more than 30 local and international conferences. His contribution to the growth and development of the department, school of science, the college community and the larger society as a whole has earned him several awards of excellence across the students, academia, non-academic bodies, the government and society at large

Dr. (Mrs) Oginni, Aderonke Margaret is a Chief Lecturer in Integrated Science Department, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Otto/Ijanikin, Lagos, Nigeria. She obtained Ph.D, Masters Degree in Science Education and Bachelor of Education Degree (Chemistry/Mathematics) all from the same University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She also obtained Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), Chemistry and Mathematics from Oyo State College of Education, Ilesha and Teachers’ Grade II Certificate from Teachers’ Training College, Ilorin, Nigeria. She as well has the following Professional Certificates: Advanced Professional Certificate in Innovative Teaching (APCIT), Hovering, UK; Certificate in Check Sheet Development and Application, Applied Scholastic, Nigeria; Certificate in Study Technology (Workshop Leaders Course), Applied Scholastic, Nigeria; and Certificate in Information and Communication Technology Programme, AOCOED, Nigeria. Her areas of interest include Science Education vis-a-vis Curriculum Studies, Integrated Science, Chemistry and Mathematics.


Her academic and administrative activities and experience are numerous. Currently, She is the Director, Directorate of Degree ProgrammesEkiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, in affiliation with AdeniranOgunsanya College of Education, Otto/Ijanikin, Lagos. She was the Head of Department of Integrated Science of AdeniranOgunsanya College of Education, Otto/Ijanikin, Lagos for five years (5). DrOginni, an erudite scholar of repute is an active member of several notable professional bodies some of which are Science Teacher’ Association of Nigeria (STAN), Curriculum Organization of Nigerian (CON), Women in Colleges of Education (WICE), Nigerian Association of Teachers of Technology (NATT) and Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN). As a prolific writer, she has co-authored four (4) text books in mathematics and science education for the tertiary level of education. She has authored and co-authored over thirty (30) scholarly articles in local and international journals and chapters in books. She has attended many local and international seminars, workshops and conferences.

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